Households given free electricity in 4 years with plug in solar panels from Lidl

Households will be able to get free no-cost electricity within just four years if they buy new plug-in solar panels which will launch in Lidl, Amazon and other big retailers this year.

The push to get cheaper plug-in solar into shops has been accelerated by the escalating cost of living crisis, which is predicted to push up household bills by as much as £332 per year from July when the next Ofgem price cap is announced.

But now, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has announced the rollout of plug-in solar panels which it says will save typical households between £70 and £110 a year on their energy bills.

The panels simply plug into a mains socket, such as an outdoor garden plug, and then automatically send electricity back into your house to run appliances, with no other installations needed.

The panels will cost around £400 to buy, much cheaper than a full, sophisticated panel install which often costs thousands. Based on typical savings between £70 and £110, the panels will pay for themselves within four years, and from that point provide totally free electricity.

If the cost of electricity increases further, as expected, the payback time could be even sooner.

Most panels are expected to last at least 15 years, meaning they will produce free electricity for many years after paying for themselves.

The panels will be sold in major retailers including Lidl, Amazon and Iceland.

Georgina Hall, Corporate Affairs Director at Lidl GB, said: “At Lidl GB, we are committed to making sustainable living affordable for everyone and we welcome the government’s move to modernise regulations in the UK.

“Updating the regulatory landscape for this ‘plug-and-play’ technology is a positive step towards empowering British households to manage their energy costs and support the nation’s net-zero ambitions.”

Greg Jackson, founder and CEO of Octopus Energy, said: “People want to be free of these fossil fuel crises - since the conflict in the Middle East began, interest in solar has shot up 50%, heat pump and electric cars are also seeing surges.

“Every solar panel, heat pump and battery cuts bills and boosts Britain’s energy independence. And the government’s latest steps can help cut the costs of electrification.

“With solar, many homes can produce and use their own electricity, and cut their bills further by selling the excess back to us. With heat pumps and electric cars, their own electricity can slash heating and driving bills - stuff you simply can’t do with gas and petrol.

“And it’s great that the government want to give homes and businesses cheap electricity on windy days instead of paying wind farms to switch off. Once this is permanent, companies and families will be able to invest confidently in electric vehicles, batteries and heat pumps - knowing they’ll be cheap to run.”